Marshall Field and Company Building

Marshall Field and Company Building is a department store on State Street in the heart of Chicago, decorated with terra cotta facades, large marble columns, and multiple retail floors that occupy an entire city block. The interior spaces extend across several connected structures and form corridors, balconies, and sales levels arranged around central light wells.

Daniel Burnham designed this Renaissance Revival building starting in 1892 and set a new standard for commercial architecture in a rapidly growing city. Later expansions followed in the early decades of the 20th century and united several neighboring plots into a single connected complex.

The Walnut Room opened in 1907 as the first restaurant inside an American department store and still offers a chance to dine between shopping trips today. During the holiday season, the restaurant draws many visitors who eat beneath a large decorated tree and take part in a local festive tradition.

Entrances are located along State Street and Wabash Avenue, and the CTA Washington/Wabash station connects directly to the building. Stairs, escalators, and elevators serve all floors, allowing visitors to move between levels as needed.

A five-story atrium features a Tiffany glass mosaic ceiling made of around 1.6 million individual pieces of iridescent glass that form geometric patterns and organic shapes together. This artwork glows with natural light from above and turns the sales floors into a bright, open space.

Location: Chicago

Architects: Daniel Burnham

Architectural style: Chicago School

GPS coordinates: 41.88370,-87.62697

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:26